What is the best app to learn Thai?
Mooteach. Here is what sets it apart:
- Every skill in one app. Speak, read, write, listen and type, so you don't need one app for words, another for the alphabet and a third for tones.
- Built for Thai alone. Most apps here run one course design across dozens of languages. Mooteach is made for Thai: the five tones taught explicitly, kráp or kâ to match you, and the Thai six-hour clock that most apps leave out.
- Thai the way it's really spoken. Colloquial, everyday Thai for street food stalls, rides and night markets, not textbook phrases.
- Real reading and writing. Thai script with romanization that marks every tone and switches off when you're ready, and writing practice that takes you from tracing a letter to writing it from memory.
- Every phrase in a male and a female voice, so you hear the polite ending that fits you.
- Free to start, and less than half the price of the big apps when you upgrade. The whole course is free to use, and your cup of lessons refills through the day. Mooteach Plus is US$2.99 a week or US$6.49 a month, with a 7-day free trial on the monthly plan.
Mooteach is for iPhone and iPad, and coming soon to the App Store. The sections below compare it with the other apps people ask about.
How does Mooteach compare with other Thai apps?
Prices are in US dollars, as each app's own site or the US App Store showed them on October 25, 2026, with Jam Kham, LingoDeer and Mondly re-checked on November 1. "Not stated" means the app's own pages do not say.
Price and free tier
| App | Price and free tier |
|---|---|
| Mooteach Best pick | The whole course free to use, with ads; your cup of lessons refills through the day. Mooteach Plus US$2.99 a week or US$6.49 a month, 7 days free on monthly |
| Drops | Free for five minutes a day; paid plan US$11 a month or US$69.99 a year |
| HelloTalk | Free; VIP US$12.99 a month or US$79.99 a year |
| italki | Pay per lesson at each tutor's price; trial lessons listed from US$5 to US$70 |
| Jam Kham | Reading: first 3 modules free, then US$49 once. Phrases: 30 free, then US$25 every 6 months |
| Ling | First beginner unit free; Ling Pro US$16.99 a month or US$89.99 a year |
| LingoDeer | The alphabet, the first unit and a few more lessons free; subscription from US$14.99 a month |
| Memrise | Free plan with limits and ads; paid plan US$61.99 a year |
| Mondly | Daily Lessons, the Hello category and a chatbot lesson free; subscription US$15.90 a month or US$74.90 a year, one week free |
| Pimsleur | A free lesson and a 7-day free trial; All Access US$20.99 a month or US$164.99 a year |
| ThaiPod101 | Free account with a survival phrases course and the first 3 lessons of each path; paid plans from US$4 a month on a 24-month plan |
| Write It! Thai | Free to download; a one-time full unlock, listed at US$4.99 to US$8.99 |
Course and platforms
| App | How you learn | Thai course for English speakers | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mooteach Best pick | Short lessons, practice and games | Yes, built for Thai alone: speak, read, write, listen and type | iPhone, iPad; coming soon to the App Store |
| Drops | Illustrated word games | Words only (2,000+ Thai words) | iPhone, iPad, Android |
| HelloTalk | Chat with Thai speakers | No, a language exchange with Thai speakers | iPhone, iPad, Android |
| italki | Private lessons with tutors | No, private lessons with Thai tutors | iPhone, iPad, Android, web |
| Jam Kham | Browser reading and phrase course | A reading course and a phrase course | Web browser only |
| Ling | Interactive lessons and mini-games | Yes, 200+ lessons | iPhone, iPad, Android, web |
| LingoDeer | Lessons, quizzes and flashcards | Yes, beginner to intermediate | iPhone, iPad, Android, web |
| Memrise | Videos, word lessons, AI conversations | On its website (300+ lessons) | iPhone, iPad, Android, web |
| Mondly | Gamified lessons and a chatbot | Yes | iPhone, iPad, Android |
| Pimsleur | Audio lessons | One level only: 30 audio lessons of 30 minutes | iPhone, iPad, Android, web, Alexa, CarPlay |
| ThaiPod101 | Audio and video lessons, lesson notes | Yes | iPhone, iPad, Android, web |
| Write It! Thai | Handwriting practice | No, handwriting the script only | iPhone, iPad, Android |
What you practice in each app
A tick means you do it in the app, with exercises or feedback, as the app's own pages describe: you read Thai script, you speak and hear how you did, you write the letters yourself, you practice hearing or saying tones, and you can switch romanization off. Where an app explains a skill without practice, or only on one plan, the cell says so.
| App | Reading | Speaking | Writing | Tones | Romanization |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mooteach Best pick | |||||
| Drops | |||||
| HelloTalk | With Thai speakers | ||||
| italki | Depends on the tutor | With a tutor | Depends on the tutor | Depends on the tutor | |
| Jam Kham | Tone rules, in reading | ||||
| Ling | Spoken tones scored | ||||
| LingoDeer | Record and compare | Explained, not practiced | |||
| Memrise | Letter lessons | Record and compare | Tone word lessons | ||
| Mondly | |||||
| Pimsleur | A few reading lessons | Listen and repeat | |||
| ThaiPod101 | Explained in lessons | Teacher, Premium PLUS | Explained in lessons | ||
| Write It! Thai |
Yes Not stated by the app
What is the best free app to learn Thai?
Mooteach: the whole course is free, not a sample, with your cup of lessons refilling all day. Start without signing up, and add Mooteach Plus only if you want more, from US$2.99 a week.
Which app is best for learning to read Thai?
Mooteach teaches the letters, vowels and tone rules, then puts them straight into real words. Its reading practice trains you to read each word's tone, not just its letters.
Which app is best for learning to write Thai?
Mooteach takes each letter from tracing, to copying, to writing it from memory. It covers the vowel signs and tone marks too, stroke by stroke.
Which app is best for learning the Thai alphabet?
Mooteach teaches every letter to read and to write, with its name in a male and a female voice. Each letter comes with real words, so you use it straight away.
Which app is best for Thai tones?
Mooteach plays the five tones on real words and drills words that differ only in tone. Its romanization marks the tone of every syllable until you can read it yourself.
Which app is best for Thai vocabulary?
Mooteach teaches words in phrases you'll actually use, each in a male and a female voice. Games and a daily review bring them back, so they stick.
Is LingoDeer good for learning Thai?
LingoDeer has a Thai course for English speakers that starts from the alphabet and runs from A1 to B1, on iPhone, Android and the web. The alphabet and the first unit are free, and the full course costs from US$14.99 a month. It explains the five tones and can show romanization, and you can record yourself and compare with the audio. Its pages describe no tone exercises, and its writing practice is for Japanese and Chinese characters, not Thai. Mooteach has you write every Thai letter, it is free to start, and Mooteach Plus is US$6.49 a month.
Is Mondly good for learning Thai?
Mondly has a Thai course on iPhone, iPad and Android. Daily Lessons, the Hello category and a chatbot lesson are free, and the full course is US$15.90 a month or US$74.90 a year after a one-week free trial. Its pages do not say whether it teaches Thai script, tones or writing. Mooteach teaches all three, and the whole course is free to start.
Is Ling good for learning Thai?
Ling is the closest app to Mooteach: a Thai course of 200+ lessons for speaking, reading, listening and writing, with stroke-order tracing and a romanization toggle. The first beginner unit is free, and Ling Pro is US$16.99 a month or US$89.99 a year. Ling's own blog says it has no dedicated tones game. Mooteach drills words that differ only in tone, the whole course is free to start, and Mooteach Plus costs less than half as much.
Is Pimsleur good for learning Thai?
Pimsleur Thai is one level of 30 audio lessons, about 30 minutes each, with a few reading lessons. It teaches tones by listening and speaking, gives AI pronunciation feedback and plays through CarPlay and Android Auto. All Access is US$20.99 a month after a 7-day free trial, and its pages do not mention writing practice. Mooteach adds reading, writing and typing, in lessons you can finish in a few minutes.
Is ThaiPod101 good for learning Thai?
ThaiPod101 is a course of audio and video lessons by teachers, with lesson notes and transcripts, on the web, iPhone, iPad and Android. Its lessons explain the Thai alphabet and the tone rules, and a free account includes a 50+ lesson survival phrases course and the first 3 lessons of every path. Paid plans are listed from US$4 a month on a 24-month plan, and practice with a teacher is in Premium PLUS, listed at US$23 a month. It suits learning by watching and listening. In Mooteach you practice: speech recognition checks what you say, you trace and write every letter, and listening practice drills words that differ only in tone.
What are other Thai apps good for?
Some learners use a second app alongside Mooteach, or need something it doesn't offer. Here is what each one suits.
- Android or a computer: Mooteach is for iPhone and iPad only. Ling, LingoDeer and ThaiPod101 run on Android and the web.
- Talking with a person: italki for paid lessons with Thai tutors, at each tutor's own price, and HelloTalk for a free language exchange with Thai speakers.
- Learning by ear in the car: Pimsleur's audio lessons play through CarPlay and Android Auto.
- A big library of lessons: ThaiPod101's free account includes a 50+ lesson survival phrases course and the first 3 lessons of every path.
- Handwriting on its own: Write It! Thai drills all 80 letters of the Thai script with handwriting recognition, for a one-time unlock.
- Reading in a browser: Jam Kham's web course teaches the 44 consonants, the vowels and the tone rules, for US$49 once.
- Five minutes of words a day: Drops teaches 2,000+ Thai words and is free for five minutes a day.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a Duolingo for Thai?
No, Duolingo and Babbel have no Thai course for English speakers. Mooteach is the Duolingo-style app for Thai: short lessons, a streak to keep and games.
